This Nearly Half-Century-Old Rule Has Determined The Price Of An NYC Slice…Until Now
According to the “Pizza Principle,” an urban theory that shows that the price of an NYC slice and the cost of subway fare are positively correlated, some New Yorkers would claim they’re now overpaying for a slice of pizza in the city—but not by much.
Thanks to Liam Quigley, a man who tracked the cost of an NYC slice for eight years, we know the average NYC slice costs anywhere from around $3-$5 as of 2022. Currently, commuters are paying $2.90 for a MetroCard swipe. But if you take into account the price of subway fare in 2022 to match the latest known data from Quigley, it was $2.75 a ride. Either way, an NYC slice, whether in 2022 or present day, is still more expensive than a ride on the subway, disproving the Pizza Principle.
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In an article from The New York Times back in the 1980s, the Pizza Principle was used to predict a ripple in subway fare if the cost of a slice went up. At that time, an NYC slice cost less than a dollar and subway fare was just increased to 60 cents per ride.
So why are NYC slices becoming so much more expensive than they used to be? Well, inflation is of course a reason to blame. The cost of ingredients, labor wages and utilities have all increased. As a result, pizzerias have had to change their prices in order to keep up with their costs. In fact, a new study names NYC the most priciest pizza city in the United States.
If you analyze subway fare hikes, the MTA agreed to increase fares every two years prior to the pandemic. On August 20th, 2023, the cost of a subway ride increased from $2.75 to $2.90. Come 2025, the MTA is expected to increase fare again by another 4%.
Until then, let’s just hope we don’t see anymore increases to an NYC slice. And of course, you can still find some pizzerias offering dollar slices.
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